Review | Lucy Dacus – Forever Is A Feeling

Label: Geffen Records

By Susie Long

Lucy Dacus’ newest album is a beautiful testament to adulthood, intimacy, and the poeticism of mundanity.

Dacus made a name for herself as the indie kid’s coming-of-age soundtrack, with a discography that spoke of growing up, finding yourself, and learning to tackle the world. With her fourth studio album, ‘Forever Is A Feeling‘, however, something feels different. 

This is not a guidebook for growing up, nor is it a story of self-discovery. ‘Forever Is A Feeling‘, instead, is a bittersweet, nostalgic perspective on adulthood. It feels like a snapshot of the liminality between growing and grown. She looks back at young love with tracks like ‘Bullseye’ – including a wonderful feature from Hozier – whilst celebrating a hopeful, loving future in songs like ‘Best Guess’. 

Full of emotional complexity and trademark Lucy Dacus introspection, this album paints a wonderfully full picture of adult life. It doesn’t shy away from the bad, but the whole record has an undertone of hopefulness and optimism that feels refreshing for her. 

The title track ‘Forever Is A Feeling’, wouldn’t be out of place in the end credits of a movie. It feels fresh and bright, but without neglecting the emotional rollercoaster that the rest of the album touches upon. Featuring backing vocals from her fellow boygenius members Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker, Dacus is both wistful and accepting as she sings: “this is bliss, this is Hell, forever is a feeling and I know it well.”

‘Forever Is A Feeling‘ is a brilliant balancing act between these feelings of bitter and sweet: the reflection on the past and the observation of the present. The addition of tracks like ‘Limerence’, with its waltzing, classical-infused sound, invokes a nostalgia so profound it almost feels out of reach, and yet her lyrics speak in the present tense. 

In fact, what is so clever in this record is that the concept of time feels entirely subjective. The final song on the album, ‘Lost Time’, embodies this perfectly. Underpinned by regret, this song is a complete reinvention of a love song. Trying to fix the past, whilst simultaneously protect her future self, it’s a poignant final note for the record. 

The bridge of this song: “Nothing lasts forever but let’s see how far we get, so when it comes my time to lose you I’ll have made the most of it”, summarises this album in one simple phrase. Content with the present, regretful of the past, and apprehensive of the future: this album is a powerful indication of a new chapter for Dacus.